Bleeding Love
by vampirateloyal
Summary: Set during the events of New Moon, Bella comes face to face with her past during a friendly outing with Jacob. One-shot E/B Fluff Alert!


**Just a little one-shot idea I had while listening to my iPod tonight... set during New Moon.**

**Disclaimer: I do not lay claim to any work by Stephenie Meyer or Leona Lewis**

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The gymnasium was decorated typically for the annual Forks Dance Festival: red, blue and yellow balloons tied to each table, bowls of red punch on each bar, a dj that wouldn't know a good song if the cd glanced off of his massive skull, and a sea of happy couples... well, most of them were happy.

Bella Swan looked at the crowd uncomfortably, secretly angry at Jacob for making her to this stupid dance in the first place. It had been only a few miserable months since Edward had left her alone in the forest, taking her heart with him. Though she had tried so desperately to forget him, to move on... it had proven to be impossible. The sight of the people laughing and twirling about on the dance floor just made her remember her prom, and her only true love's arms wrapped around her as they swayed to the music. The memory made the hole in her chest pulse painfully, and her arms crossed impulsively over the mental wound that ripped at her continuously as the seconds ticked by.

She felt a hand close over her shoulder, and winced because of the strange cool blast that shot through her body. She didn't dare look at Jacob. It would hurt him too much to see how _not_ ready she had been for all of this. She cleared her throat and lept to her feet, glancing quickly behind her but keeping her gaze on his shoes. "Let's dance, huh?" she chirped before grabbing his wrist and dragging him out on the dance floor.

His sudden chuckle made Bella freeze in place for several seconds, then spin around. She blinked twice, then her mouth dropped open as she registered the sight before her.

Edward stood just as perfect and handsome as she remembered. He smiled crookedly, the effect of his familiar grin almost knocking her to the floor, and chuckled again. "What's wrong?" his voice rang in her ears like a soft bell.

Then it hit her. It was another hallucination, of course. She closed her eyes and shook her head, then opened them to find Edward still standing there, looking at her with a puzzled expression. _This is bad_, warning signals screamed inside her brain as she tried to figure out the reason for this episode. Perhaps it was the dance, the memories. Maybe it was just too much. Yes, she had finally snapped.

Then her worries snapped back to reality. This wasn't just a ghost. This was Jacob, her best friend and her date, and there she stood staring at him like a madwoman.

No, she had to pretend that nothing was wrong. She plastered on a fake smile and reached forward to grab him by his jacket. "Sorry, it's nothing. Let's dance, or have you changed your mind and don't want to be seen with me."

Edward - ugh! Jacob grinned and shook his head. "Are you sure you can keep up?"

Bella was caught breathless for another immeasurable moment. This vision was so real! Even the voice... and his hands... suddenly she realized how long they had been holding hands. She yanked her arms up to loop around her mirage's neck, and they started to sway to the music.

Suddenly, the song changed to something so ironic that Bella almost burst out laughing. Leona Lewis's voice blared the lyrics of _Bleeding Love_ in their ears as Edward/Jacob pulled her closer, tilting her head to rest against his chest.

_Closed off from love  
I didn't need the pain  
Once or twice was enough  
And it was all in vain  
Time starts to pass  
Before you know it you're frozen_

His hands threaded through her hair, and she sighed comfortably. Was this a sign? Maybe this was Edward's way of telling her to move on. For the first time, being in the arms of Jacob Black felt one hundred percent _right_. Like she had found her other half. Just like she thought she had found with Edward.

_But something happened  
For the very first time with you  
My heart melts into the ground  
Found something true  
And everyone's looking round  
Thinking I'm going crazy_

She felt his finger tip her chin upwards. _No!_ the warning screamed in her head. It was wrong to have this moment now. Not while this face is still in front of me... those eyes..

_But I don't care what they say  
I'm in love with you  
They try to pull me away  
But they don't know the truth  
My heart's crippled by the vein  
That I keep on closing_

Her better judgment clouded over as she got lost in that familiar gaze. She had to kiss those lips just one more time, even if it was an illusion. She had to seize this one last chance to say goodbye.

_I keep bleeding, keep keep bleeding love..._

Their lips crashed together, fitting like two pieces of a puzzle, and the fire that had been extinguished for so long inside Bella's heart now burned brightly once more. Her fingers knotted in his hair as his hands carefully slid over her shoulders and up over her throat. Her heart beat 100 miles an hour as the kiss deepened more and more, until she felt that she would simply fall into him, becoming one with his spirit, sharing one soul, one heart, one destiny...

Then his lips tore from hers, and he disappeared into the crowd so suddenly, she feared that she would awaken from a dream at any moment. What had happened? She thought over the kiss... had she murmered Edward's name? Perhaps Jacob had figured her out after all.

_No... I have to find him!_ Bella panicked as she scanned the faces around her for Jacob, or Edward just in case the mirage was still in effect.

A tap on her shoulder startled her, and she yelped. She spun to meet Jacob's worried face, then sighed when she realized that the episode was over. But there was still the issue of their kiss...

"Jake... about what just happened..." Bella began.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I went to get us some punch, but when I got back to our table you were gone. Have you been looking for me long?"

_You cut me open._

Jacob's words sounded like they were being spoken through a long tunnel. Bella stared through him, into the crowd around them. She saw a flash near the door, but a second glance revealed nothing but the world outside, fading in the twilight to darkness once more...


End file.
